After an unprecedented ice storm in late January made Northwest Florida’s roads and bridges impassable and shut down part of Interstate 10, some folks wondered why emergency crews hadn’t stored salt that could be spread on ice-covered roads to keep traffic moving.

The key word in this story is unprecedented. Such a cold-weather crisis hadn’t occurred before in Northwest Florida — at least not within anyone’s memory — and, frankly, isn’t likely to occur again any time soon. Invest in huge amounts of salt? Why, Florida officials might as well buy snowplows!
We have some news. Hold on tight.

Since the ice storm, the Daily News’ Lauren Sage Reinlie reported March 18, the state Department of Transportation has indeed invested in huge amounts of salt. Forty-two tons worth, to be exact, at a cost of $12,400.

The DOT also has purchased 10 salt spreaders that can be attached to dump trucks. Cost: $26,400.
It has stocked up on 4,400 gallons of potassium acetate, which is supposed to help remove ice, for another $26,400.
And it has bought snowplows. For Florida. Where it almost never snows.

The DOT bought the five snowplows in late February for $22,000. Like the salt spreaders, each plow is made to fit on the front of a dump truck.

“After seeing what snow can do to Southern states and how quickly things deteriorated when they didn’t have the ability to remove it,” said Ian Satter, a spokesman for the DOT in Northwest Florida, “we wanted to make sure we are prepared to get our roads open as quickly and safely as possible.”

That’s a noble goal. But we suspect the DOT has just wasted about $87,000.

The one bright spot here is that the snowplows are supposed to be multipurpose affairs. The DOT thinks the gadgets can push not just snow, but also sand and debris off a road after a hurricane.

Well, OK. Maybe the snowplows can be used after the next big blow. But workers probably will have to dust them off and clean away the cobwebs first.